Camping: Storm
by psychopersonified
Summary: Daltonverse. Prequel to Superman that H... Just something fun for the boys.


Prequel to Camping! Superman That H...

Jusfulsome fun for theboys.

* * *

There is an unaccounted for rustling in the bushes fifteen feet ahead. The sky is overcast and the wind has picked up the last half hour, dropping the temperature. The gloomy weather casts an eerie atmosphere over the entire landscape. In the distance across the lake, thunder clouds loom ominously.

The ragtag bunch of boys are making the short hike back to the lodge at the foot of the hill by the lake. They're the last of the Dalton boys to leave the animal sanctuary after a long day of menial labour.  
Dwight's paranoid mumblings are starting to get to even the sanest of boys. There is an undercurrent of impending terror running through the group. Like they're expecting something to happen.

A flash of lightning, followed immediately by a ear splittingly loud clap of thunder nearly sends the group scattering. Someone even shrieks in terror, though no one owns up to it. Jeff is fairly certain he peed in his pants a little.

"Not good. Not good at all." Dwight pronounces gravely, studying the horizon where the storm is gathering. It's dramatic and terrifyingly beautiful all at once. The roiling clouds and howling winds seem to foretell a tempest of epic proportions.

"Are…Are the spirits mad?" Thad ventures timidly. Dwight seems to contemplate this. "No. No, its just a low pressure storm moving in. I knew I should have brought a raincoat." He finally decides. Thad just rolls his eyes and walks away to join the other Stuarts.

The Stuart Trio comes up behind everyone. "Ladies, please get a move on." Derek urges the boys blocking the path.

"Sshh! There it is again!" Satoru points down the path. Everyone watches expectantly... Nothing.  
"Riiiight. I'd love to stay and play but it looks like the heavens are about to open up and I don't want to stick around for it." Logan dismisses.

Further ahead Jeff and Nick are creeping cautiously giving the bushes as wide a berth as possible. They pass the bushes without incident and relax a little.

"Oh hurry up!" Logan brushes past them. The increasingly short time between lightning flashes and subsequent thunder is starting to worry him. The path to the lodge is flanked by trees; not the best place to be during a thunderstorm.

Not ten feet past them, he comes to an abrupt stop. Julian walks right into him. "Oof!" Logan is stiff as a plank staring ahead. Completely unmoving.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Julian peers around him. "Oh….."  
"Guys common." Derek urges. "SShhh!" The other two warn him. Julian points ahead and Derek follows the line of his finger. Sitting in the middle of the path, sniffing the air is a huge spiky porcupine. All of a sudden it huffs and charges them. The trio scampers back towards the others. "RUN!"

* * *

"What now?" Thad asks from behind the tree he's hiding behind. The others are in similar positions hoping to put something between them and the painful quills. They've tried going around the animal, but the terrain is a mountain slope on one side and a cliff face the other. Best to stick to the path.

"Scare it away? Poke it with a stick?" Nick supplies. "Yes cos it's not mad enough!" Derek snaps. Nick shrugs. "Any better ideas? Logan?" Seven heads turn to him. He's the only prefect in the group, so naturally they look to him for leadership.

Logan blinks slowly, taking a deep breath. He's had it with animals for the day. This is completely out of his comfort zone. Julian gets a flash of inspiration, "Animals don't like water right? Maybe we can scare it away with water."

It's the only idea they have, so Logan goes with it. "OK. Dwight, give him your water gun." Dwight gladly surrenders the item, tossing it towards Julian who catches it like its a hot potato. "Why ME?"  
Logan cuts him off, "..Because you came up with the idea. Besides you have more experience than any of us. Just …Think of it like Sonic, but on steroids." That's the extent of Logan's pep talk. Derek pushes Julian out from behind the boulder.

Julian has no choice and capitulates. He squares his shoulders and creeps towards the porcupine. Halfway he turns around to the others for encouragement. Logan and Derek give him their thumbs up from safely behind the boulder.

He pumps the trigger, testing the range of the squirt gun. Satisfied that it goes an acceptable distance, he aims and sprays the creature. He hits the animal square in the face. It only serves to piss the porcupine more and it charges for real this time.

"What the FUCK?" Julian tosses the water gun and sprints towards a nearest tree. When he reaches it, he leaps, kicking the trunk with one foot and launching himself up towards a low branch kung-fu style. He grabs hold of the branch and dangles there, curling his legs clear of the porcupine's reach before pulling himself up onto the branch. He rests there on his stomach like a lounging leopard.

"NOW what?" He yells back at Logan. Another bolt of lightning and deafening thunder. Julian yelps in surprise, hunkering lower. Logan is even more worried, now that the cat is up in a tree.

He has an idea, it's not ideal but considering the circumstances... "Okay. Okay, kids don't try this at home." He warns the others. He squats down and picks up a handful of pebbles and starts throwing them in the direction of the animal. Some ping off its spines others near its face.

"Don't hurt it!" Bailey voices his concern. "I'm not trying to! Just want it to MOVE." Logan creeps closer. He scoops up more pebbles with both hands and this he tosses all at once in the air so it rains dirt and small pebbles on the porcupine. It seems to work, the creature starts lumbering away. Three more scoops in rapid succession and the animal is annoyed enough that it scurries into the bushes.

"Okay! Go!" The boys break out from their hiding places and run up the path before the porcupine decides to return.

Julian swings himself around, holding on to the branch and letting his legs dangle. Logan catches him by the waist as he drops to the ground.

The boys run the rest of the way to the chalet as the rain starts in earnest pelting them all the way.  
-


End file.
